dave@norsat.UUCP (07/14/89)
Norsat International Inc. proudly announces the MICROSAT II expansion card.
(and its satellite broadcast of USENET to USA and CANADA)
What MICROSAT II is:
--------------------
MICROSAT II is an audio/video/data satellite receiver you can install in an
XT/AT bus personal computer. By integrating several functional units onto a
single PC expansion card, and using the computer for control and data
capture, Microsat brings reduced cost and size of satellite downlink
equipment to users of satellite communications. Microsat is the key to
economical and practical delivery of data, audio and video to business users,
educational institutes, and public offices through a simple upgrade of
personal computers.
You don't need an external satellite receiver to use MICROSAT II or to
receive data directly to your computer, MICROSAT does that for you!
What MICROSAT II does:
----------------------
With an appropriate antenna/LNB, Microsat can be tuned to receive signals
at any frequency in either C or Ku Band. The tuning functions are controlled
directly from the computers bus, or can be set in hardware to ignore the PC's
commands. Video and stereo audio outputs are provided, and data received is
routed to an RS-232 standard serial port.
What you receive using MICROSAT II:
-----------------------------------
Satellite TV broadcasts, stereo radio stations carried on subcarriers, VC-II
encoded broadcasts (when equipped with a VC-II descrambler).
The full USENET news broadcasts including ... alt, bionet, biz, can, comp,
control, general, gnu, misc, net, news, pubnet, rec, sci, soc, talk, to, u3b,
unix-pc and vnet.
Also broadcast are the PsBBS file archives of binary and source files,
FIDO/OPUS echo-mail, private and public messages, product announcements,
private commercial broadcasts, and updates to the satellite receive software.
There are NO FEES, COSTS, or CHARGES of any kind to receive the broadcasts of
USENET or FIDO-net, other than the cost of the required hardware. Their are
no monthly rental charges or access fees of any kind.
Commercial users who wish to obtain satellite access and dedicated time-slots
for distribution of private data networks should contact NORSAT International
for fee structures of leased satellite transponder time.
What Hardware Is Required:
--------------------------
MICROSAT II and CYCLONE work best together in a computer with at least:
1 AT/XT Bus computer, (standard PC)
1 hard drive (10 Meg or more)
1 video card (most types supported)
1 asynchronous serial card (standard RS232)
1 satellite dish (for C or Ku Band)
1 MICROSAT
1 floppy drive (for the distribution diskettes)
or
1 modem (fetch software via BBS or uucp)
What Operating Systems are supported:
-------------------------------------
Currently "DOS" version 2.11 or higher is required for the CYCLONE receive
software, while the transmit software runs under SCO XENIX 2.3.1.
A UNIX version of the CYCLONE receive software is scheduled for release
mid-August 1989.
What Software Is Provided:
--------------------------
The MICROSAT II comes complete with the CYCLONE receive software, which
depacketizes the satellite data and performs the forward error correcting
and detecting functions. Data integrity is ensured by standard CRC-32
error detection algorithms and is corrected BEFORE it lands onto your
computer.
The CYCLONE software uses a forward error correction scheme loosely based on
existing error correction schemes like Reid-Solomon and BCH coding but is
optomized to provide low overhead on the receiving computer with the
calculation intensive tasks being done on the transmitting computer.
Resource Management:
--------------------
The CYCLONE software is designed to make the best use of your computers
resources and to minimize maintenance. All data arriving on the computer
includes addressing information such as NET, GROUP, USER, MAJOR and MINOR
classifications as well as complete file system information about the file.
Incoming data can be selectively routed to subdirectories on the hard disk,
printers, comports, networks, or fed as input to programs that may be
dynamically configured according to the type of file being received.
CYCLONE keeps track of how much data is delivered to each resource and
honors the limits you specify in the configuration file.
Files can be selectively received based on classification, age, and to some
degree content itself (header packet information).
What are the advantages:
-------------------------
For people receiving netnews, the advantage is simple, no long distance
costs, easy installation and setup, access to USENET on a LAN or "DOS"
based system with minimum expense and no phone line required.
For people living in remote areas, this makes USENET and FIDO-NET
available where it was not previously economical.
For commercial accounts and companys who have leased transponder time
the system offers instantaneous reception of appropriate material
simultaneously at all branch offices. Cost performance analysis
charts are available that display the cost/performance and breakeven
points for MICROSAT II courier, FAX and modem.
In some areas TAX laws may allow you to write off the the cost of
computer/communications equipment as a business expense. The system
can also be used to receive educational TV broadcasts via the standard
TV Broadcast networks.
When this is available:
-----------------------
This is available NOW, and the service has been operating for the three
3 months with great success. Delivery dates for MICROSAT II depend on
availability so companys or individuals considering quantity orders
should contact us as soon as convenient.
How To Get More Information:
----------------------------
You can contact NORSAT International conventionally via phone/fax or Mail
or you can request information via uucp or the support BBS.
mail: ATTN: David Binette
NORSAT International Inc.
302-12886 78th Ave.
Surrey, British Columbia
CANADA V3W 8E7
---
uucp: {uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!norsat!dave
bbs: (604)597-4361 24/12/PEP/3 N81
voice: (604)597-6298 (Dave Binette)
There is an anonymous uucp account available on our system.
Login as nuucp, no password.
We are running SCO XENIX 2.3.1 and HoneyDanBer uucp-g.
No Parity, 8 databits, 1 stopbit
The login sequence is 2400-1200-9600(PEP)-300
The Phone # is (604) 597 4361
Anonymous uucp requests have access to the following directories:
Area Content
---------------------------- ------------------------------
/usr/spool/uucppublic allfiles.doc (listing of files)
Updated automagically every day
/usr2/bbs/bul Bulletins
/usr2/bbs/fil/microsat/new New MicroSat Files
/usr2/bbs/fil/microsat/doc MicroSat Text Files
/usr2/bbs/fil/microsat/prg MicroSat Programs
/usr2/bbs/fil/microsat/src MicroSat Source Code
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed descriptions of the files in each area are in .files.bbs
for example... /usr2/bbs/fil/microsat/prg/.files.bbs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you -end-